The novel’s historical setting is the Nazi period of German history (1933-1945) and specifically focuses on the years before the outbreak of World War II when the Nazi regime outlawed art and culture deemed degenerate according to their conservative and traditionalist sentiments. The two greatest events involving artists and the Nazis occurred in 1933 and 1937, followed by the event directly mentioned in the book, the infamous Lucerne auction in Lucerne, Switzerland in 1939.

In January 1933, Adolf Hitler officially became the chancellor of Germany, and the Nazi party quickly consolidated power. Starting in 1933 and continuing in the years following, many Jewish people, as well as artists and intellectuals, fled Germany due to the oppressive policies of Adolf Hitler and the Nazi organization. Artists who fled and who are mentioned in the book include Wassily Kandinsky, Paul Klee, and Max Beckmann. A few remained in Germany, even though they were removed from any teaching positions they held and were not allowed to paint in any style deemed “degenerate.” Otto Dix is a famous example of an artist who stayed behind despite the punitive efforts of the Nazis.

The second historical event mentioned in the book is the Exhibition of Degenerate Art in Munich, Germany in 1937.